No More Tears
by x Varda x
Summary: Complete! Jennifer and Rodney go off-world together and run into some unexpected trouble. Contains whump, along with hints of McKeller.
1. Going OffWorld

**Disclaimer - "Stargate" and all related characters and images are the property of MGM Television Entertainment. I'm just going to borrow Rodney and Jennifer for a while ;)**

**Written for CW (you know who you are - thanks for the prod!) and the McKellerites on the GateWorld Forum.**

**Set after 'Missing' and before 'The Shrine.'**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Going Off-World**

Jennifer stood in the infirmary with her hands on her hips. She mentally ran through a checklist of all the items she had packed in the two large bags laying on the floor in front of her.

Satisfied that she had enough equipment to help the villagers of P7H-306, she bent over and slung one of the rucksacks over her shoulders. She struggled under the weight slightly and then curled her hand around the strap of the other bag. She straightened up and heaved it off the floor.

She headed over to the door leading out into the corridor and weaved a little as she tried to compensate for the heavy bags. She looked down at the ground to try and lessen her burden and nearly walked headlong into Rodney, who was moving very fast as he stepped through the infirmary door just in front of her.

She stopped abruptly and looked up at him. He backed away out into the corridor and Jennifer noted that he was in off-world gear and it seemed as though he had just been running. His face was red and he was out of breath. He looked a little sheepish as he gasped, "Uh…sorry. I thought you might've already left."

He continued to get his breath back and Jennifer just waited patiently for him to recover so that he could speak. She ignored the cramps developing in her hand where it held the bag so that she would be able to find out what he was going to say.

After a while Rodney looked up at her and she raised her eyebrows at him as she glanced down at his tac vest.

He wrung his hands together nervously, "I…uh…I heard you were going off-world and what with Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon on that trading mission... Well they didn't really need me it's all just a lot of heavy lifting getting the crates into the Jumper anyway. You know how I am, not so good with the physical stuff…"

Jennifer's eyebrows went up even further as Rodney's eyes widened in realisation and he blushed, "Uh…I didn't mean not like that!" He paused for second, closed his eyes and then said quickly, "Oh no, that's not what I meant either!"

Jennifer shook her head in exasperation and cut across him as his mouth hung open to speak again. "I'd be very happy if you came with me Rodney. I could do with the company."

Rodney closed his mouth and straightened up, "Oh, right. Okay, thanks." He walked over and took the other rucksack from her and put it on his back.

Jennifer rolled her eyes behind him as she followed him into the transporter.

* * *

Jennifer took a deep breath in the cool air of P7H-306 just after she stepped through the gate and the wormhole shut down behind her.

She looked around at the trees surrounding the small clearing where the gate was situated. Rodney next to her was doing the same, but he was shifting his feet nervously. She felt the same tension in herself but tried not to let it show. She suddenly felt a huge wave of gratitude towards him that she was not alone.

They had visited P7H-306 many times to trade and there was no reason for her to feel threatened. She did not yet trust that anywhere was safe as she was still getting used to the idea of stepping through a portal to other planets. The fact that she went off-world so infrequently did not help matters.

She marvelled that Rodney was still so nervous, as he went on so many missions all the time. She narrowed her eyes as she remembered that he was almost always with his three military trained teammates, who were there to protect him.

She pointed to a poorly marked footpath directly in front of her, "The village is this way."

Rodney walked down from the gate and drew up alongside her as she started to move down the path. He waved one of his hands, "So what are you doing here?"

Jennifer frowned incredulously, "You mean you don't know? I'd have thought you would've done a little more research before joining me."

Rodney gabbled a reply, "Well I know it's a medical mission, but as to exactly what it is…" he glanced across at her, "Well you're the Doctor."

She sighed and said, "There's been a small outbreak in the village. I'm just going to see if I can offer any assistance."

Rodney's eyes darted around in panic, "An outbreak! What kind of outbreak?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe you shouldn't have come."

Rodney steeled himself and tried to neutralise his expression to hide the fear. He said sincerely, "Sorry. I'm sure you'll figure out what it is and be able to cure everyone."

Jennifer looked up at the tree canopy overhead and smiled at the white clouds veiling the sun high above them. Rodney was still right next to her and too busy looking at his feet to make sure he did not trip to see her expression.

They continued to walk on in silence. Jennifer liked the reassuring presence of the man next to her. She knew he was more wary than she was and would be the first one to speak if there was even the remotest chance of any danger nearby. She had no weapons as she was a Doctor and she thought she would not need them on the mission. She knew that Rodney had a small sidearm, but she doubted whether he would have to use it. It made her feel safer anyway.

After about half an hour of walking, Rodney sighed and pulled a scanner out of one of his tac vest pockets. He held it in front of his face and tapped the screen with his free hand as they continued to walk.

"See anything?" Jennifer asked.

He sighed, "Just us and the village a mile ahead." He raised his eyebrows as he widened the search field, "Hmm, what do we have here?"

Jennifer frowned when he left the question hanging tantalisingly with no reply for a little too long. "What is it?"

Rodney stopped and turned in a small half circle as he continued to stare down at the small screen in the palm of his hand. Jennifer took the opportunity to put her rucksack down and roll her aching shoulders.

She then walked over to Rodney and stood close to him so that she could try and see the screen. He angled it to show her, but she could not understand the data. He knew this and said excitedly, "It's an energy reading!" His eyes lit up and his face filled with glee, "It's only a short distance from the village. I'll take you where you need to go, make sure everything's okay and then I might go and have a quick look."

Jennifer found his enthusiasm infectious and could not help the grin that spread across her face as well. "Don't you think it would be better to wait and come back with a full team?"

Rodney shook his head, "It's fine. You said the people are friendly." He kept hold of the scanner and dropped his hand down to his side as he looked away, "Not that I want to leave you alone in the village or anything. It shouldn't take me too long to check it out."

Jennifer smiled at him as he looked up expectantly waiting for her decision. "It's fine. I don't mind. I would've been completely on my own anyway if you hadn't asked to come."

Rodney raised his eyebrows and gave her a lopsided grin, "Strictly, I didn't actually _ask_ to come."

Jennifer rolled her eyes in return and picked up her rucksack, "Come on, let's get moving, we're nearly there now."

* * *

TBC


	2. Curiosity

**Chapter 2 - Curiosity**

Jennifer examined the people in the hall expertly. Now that she was out of the forest and tending to sick people, she was in her element.

Rodney stood in the corner of the room. The way he kept his distance from the ill was not lost on Jennifer, but she knew what he was like and she was surprised that he had been brave enough to even come into the hall with her. He would look down at the scanner still in his hand every now and then and then smile up at her when he caught her looking at him.

There were about twenty villagers in the hall, some in beds and others sitting in chairs. When she finished her examinations, she went over to Rodney who was standing like a sentry guarding the rucksacks on the ground next to him. As Jennifer approached, he leaned back against the wall behind him and relaxed slightly.

She pursed her lips and he asked, "So figured it out yet?"

She put one hand on his shoulder and turned him around so that they were both facing away from the rest of the people in the hall and would not be overheard. "It's an infection. Possibly only a very bad cold…"

Rodney's eyes widened as he reached up and felt at the glands on either side of his neck. He spoke in a panicked squeak, "We're not at risk of catching it are we?"

Jennifer said, "There's always a chance." Rodney's whole face contorted in fear and Keller berated herself for her manner with the hypochondriac scientist.

She placed a reassuring hand on his forearm as he lowered his hands away from his neck, "I'll find out what it is. I may need to take some blood samples for analysis back home. I can never be sure we're dealing with the same things in the Pegasus Galaxy so I like to double check."

Rodney straightened up and looked a little less scared than before, but still unsettled.

Jennifer turned her face to look at the people in the room; some were talking in a low murmur while others coughed harshly. She said, "I think I'll be alright now if you want to go and investigate that reading."

"Are you sure? I mean I don't mind staying." He shrugged nonchalantly as he indicated the people in the room without looking Jennifer in the eye.

He was not fooling her though and she could hear the forced sincerity in his voice. She shook her head, "Somehow I think I'll be alright Rodney. I know how important any new scientific find is to you. I don't think the people here are in any condition to attack me."

Rodney drew himself up to his full height as he pushed himself away from the wall, "Okay, thanks. I'll probably only be a couple of hours at the most anyway. But if you need me for anything…" he reached up and tapped his radio a couple of times.

Jennifer nodded and smiled at him. He walked slowly away from her and paused for a moment when he reached the door almost as if he was going to turn around and say something. She felt a little disappointed and sighed quietly when he reached up, pushed the door open and walked outside without even a backwards glance.

What had she been expecting though? He was a physicist and had no place in her field of work, unless some of the Ancient technology she was using broke down. He would be much happier away from the ill people and wrapping his intellect around a new puzzle or an Ancient device.

Jennifer carried on working and distributing medication and advice, but she felt strangely hollow and alone without Rodney's presence with her in the room. Although she had found his gaze to be distracting while he watched her work, so in a way she was torn by relief as well now that she could finally relax a little.

* * *

Rodney had only been gone for an hour and Jennifer was still taking blood samples when he burst back through the door. She straightened up at his noisy entrance and frowned when she saw his appearance.

Rodney's face was pale and sweaty and he held his gun in one hand and the lifesigns detector in the other.

His fearful eyes darted around the room in panic and as soon as he saw Jennifer he rushed over to her. He seemed to be moving stiffly and his breathing was coming in rapid gasps.

He soon realised that Jennifer's gaze was fixed on the gun and he quickly holstered it and rested his hand against his leg as he walked. He put his hand on Jennifer's back and led her away from the villagers into the corner of the hall.

He held her gaze with his frightened blue eyes and spoke quickly. "We need to get out of here! As soon as I got near to the power reading I was chased away by a group of people. I don't know what they want but they shouted something about 'death to all off-worlders' behind me as I ran."

Jennifer looked down at him, "Are you alright?" Her eyes then widened, "You didn't kill any of them did you?"

Rodney shook his head, "No. I shot a few bullets into the air above their heads which seemed to scare them off."

Jennifer was glad that he had not resorted to hurting anyone to escape. She asked, "Can't we just stay here until Atlantis checks in and get them to come for us?"

Rodney looked down at the detector, which was held so tightly in his hand that his fingers were white at the edges. "I don't think we've got that much time. They're closing in on the village as we speak. They seemed like the kind of people who would turn this place upside down looking for us."

He drew in a hissed breath through his teeth. He then indicated the room with the life signs detector and muttered quietly, "I don't trust these people not to turn us over to save themselves. We _really_ need to leave."

Jennifer hoped that he had made the right decision and walked a short distance over to the rucksacks. Rodney shook his head and bent slightly at the waist as if he was still getting his breath back. "Leave them! We can send another team back later to pick them up."

Jennifer set her face in an expression of stubbornness, "I'm going to at least take the rucksack with the samples, even if you don't want to carry yours."

Rodney scowled, "We need speed to get away. It'll only slow you down."

Jennifer frowned back at him. She could sense that there was something else that he was not telling her and the way he was holding himself so stiffly did not bode well in her mind either.

She gave him a defiant look, "Well you'll just have keep me safe, won't you? But I _will not_ leave the samples behind."

She went over to one of the villagers who seemed less ill than the others and spoke with them quietly for a few seconds, assuring them that they would be back to check up on the village in the future.

Rodney shifted impatiently and winced. Jennifer walked over to him and put a hand on his back as she asked under her breath, "What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"

Rodney gritted his teeth, "I'm a little winded from running." He gave her a tight and grim smile, which only served to make an even larger weight of worry settle over Jennifer's heart.

She grabbed both of his shoulders and spun him around so that she could look up into his blue eyes, "I sincerely hope that's all it is…"

He could not hold her gaze for long and looked away nervously after a moment. He then walked backwards to wrench himself free from her grasp.

"We need to leave. _Now_!"

She rolled her eyes, "Sure, sure. I'm coming."

Jennifer adjusted the straps of the rucksack as she slung it onto her back and waved her hands at the villagers in sorrow. She had to assure herself that they would be safe and she did not really think they were in any position to offer shelter or protection to her or Rodney anyway.

She followed Rodney out of the hall and back into the cool, cloudy and dull world that was P3H-306.

She glanced warily around the low brick houses that represented the village around her. Rodney was already stalking along the muddy street in the direction of the path into the forest and back to Gate. Jennifer noted that there was no one other than them around and she trotted along to catch up with Rodney.

She drew up alongside him easily and that concerned her, as she was probably more unfit than he was and he had already expressed the need for haste quite forcefully.

He was holding his gun in his hand tightly as he peered down at the lifesign detector in his other hand.

She asked, "See anything?"

"Lots of things, thanks," he snapped back at her.

Jennifer was a little taken aback at his tone of voice, but put it down to stress and fear. She slowed a little and let him go ahead a short way in front of her. He had the gun and would be able to see anyone approaching after all.

She frowned at his back as he hunched over a little as he walked. The Doctor in her began analysing his body language and she knew that he was hurt somehow, but too stubborn to let her help him. The way he was bent at the middle made her think it was possibly an injury to his torso that was troubling him and a list of horrible injuries played through her mind as she continued to try and figure out what was wrong with him.

She shook her head to try and clear the worry as she reasoned that if he was that badly hurt he would hardly be able to remain conscious, let alone actually walk. She just hoped he was not ignoring his pain just for her sake.

A sly plan formed in mind and she smiled wryly as she walked faster to catch up with him. They were now in the forest and the village was almost hidden amongst the trees behind them.

Jennifer once again walked next to him as he gave the lifesigns detector a sullen look. She reached her arm along his back and curled her fingers around his ribcage on the other side. She pressed lightly, making him twitch, but there was no pain response. Jennifer now knew that there was probably nothing wrong with his chest, but that still left a lot of other terrifying possibilities.

Rodney suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to her. He asked indignantly, "Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

Jennifer released her grip and smiled at him innocently, "Just trying to get a better look at the screen. I don't like not knowing whether people are going to jump out at us in the next minute."

Rodney answered angrily, "Oh, well don't worry yourself too much. I'll let you know if the lunatics come back."

Jennifer kept the smile fixed on her face as he grimaced and turned back to continue walking. He was still giving nothing away and it made a flicker of anger start in Jennifer's mind as well. Who did he think he was, hiding his injuries from her? After all, she was a medical Doctor and could help him if he would just open up a little and give her an inch to work with.

She sighed in exasperation and they continued to walk on under the trees.

* * *

TBC


	3. Tension

I'll just reiterate the fact that I'm not a Doctor…

**Chapter 3 - Tension**

Jennifer and Rodney continued to walk towards the Gate along the path. They were making slow progress much to Jennifer's frustration as they were in danger of being attacked and speed was important.

Jennifer suddenly saw something move amongst the trees a little way ahead of them. She turned her wide-eyed gaze to look at Rodney to see if he had spotted it too. She noticed in growing fright that he was looking down at his feet with his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. He seemed to be deep in thought about something unpleasant.

A large snapping sound of a twig directly in front of the pair made Jennifer jump and she threw out her arm in front of Rodney to stop him in his tracks. She quickly put her hand against his chest and wheeled him around behind a tree.

He said, "Hey," indignantly just before his breathing sped up and he grimaced.

She pushed her hand more firmly against him and pressed him up closer to the tree. She put a finger up to her lips to indicate for him to be quiet. He clenched his teeth as he nodded. Jennifer frowned in confusion at him as she felt his body trembling under her hand. She could feel his heart pounding in fear against her fingertips.

Rodney lifted up the life signs detector. Jennifer felt annoyed that he had not seen the approaching threat as he was supposed to be watching out for them in the dangerous forest. He held it out to the side so that they could both look at the screen. A shiver ran down his arm and his hand shook making it hard to see the tiny glowing screen.

Jennifer grabbed his wrist to keep it steady and he did not flinch or draw back. They both watched tensely as the single life sign tracking them paused a short distance away on the other side of the tree.

Rodney's breathing was loud through his nose and he winced as he drew his other hand up to his mouth and covered it to minimize the noise. He closed his eyes and Jennifer felt another shudder pass through him.

The life sign on the screen soon walked away in the opposite direction and Rodney lowered his hand away from his face and let out a long shaky sigh. They waited for a few more minutes until the blip was a safe distance away.

The scanner suddenly slipped out of Rodney's hand and turned in the air as it fell down into the undergrowth where the screen went black. Jennifer followed the device with her eyes as it settled on the ground, but then she saw the palm of Rodney's hand as she still held his wrist and she drew in a quick breath in shock.

His hand was a rusty red colour and she knew it was dried blood. She looked up into his pale face and took her hand away from his chest as he slid down the tree to a crouch and then pitched over so that he lay curled up on his side on the ground.

She knelt down next to him and he closed his eyes as his body trembled. She studied him and saw something shining on the front of his tac vest. She carefully put her hand against the area, which elicited a hiss and a moan from Rodney.

She drew her hand back and turned it over to see that it was coated with blood. She gazed down at her hand blankly for a moment and then her mind filled with anger mingled with worry and sadness.

She quickly blocked the emotions overwhelming her and switched to being a Doctor. She slipped the rucksack off her back and grabbed the life signs detector from where it had landed. She pocketed it for the time being, she would need Rodney to activate it, but at present she needed both of her hands free to help him.

She said quietly, "Rodney? Can you roll onto your back for me? I need to see what you've done."

His face just screwed up in pain in response and his only movement was to draw his hands up to his midsection and curl his legs up even closer to his chest.

She gently put one hand on his shoulder and pushed slowly so that he rolled onto his back. He gasped at the movement, but offered no resistance and Jennifer wondered how he had managed to hold himself together and not let the pain show through earlier if it had been causing him this much grief. She frowned when she realised that she may have inadvertently done something to worsen his condition by shoving him against the tree so quickly.

Rodney's knees stayed up so she used her other hand on his upper legs to uncurl them away so that she could get access to look at him. He was too weak to prevent the movement even though it made him shake violently and groan.

Jennifer pulled out the life signs detector and placed her other hand on his face gently. He opened his eyes and squinted up at her. He blinked through the tears of pain that were forming. "Rodney? I want you to keep an eye on this and make sure we're still safe."

He nodded and lifted a blood-soaked and trembling hand away from his stomach and took it from her. He turned his face away from her and dropped his hand down to his side limply, but he kept hold of the scanner in his palm so that she could see the screen.

Jennifer noted that there were only two life signs visible and then set to work.

She slowly unzipped his tac vest and he hissed through his teeth and closed his eyes. His shirt underneath was drenched with blood and stuck to his skin as she lifted it away. She found out then that he had at least tried to help himself by tying a pressure bandage around his waist. It was soaked through and slipped away from the injury as she watched.

Jennifer asked him, "Rodney? What happened to you?"

He blinked tiredly at her and mumbled, "I got stabbed." He sighed as he closed his eyes again and tilted his head back so that his hair was filled with dead leaves and small twigs from the ground underneath.

She slowly lifted away the now useless bandage. It came away easily and she found the ugly bleeding gash just to the left of his navel.

She gently put her fingers on his belly around the cut so that she could examine it more thoroughly. He flinched and shivered as she worked. She frowned down at his bloodstained skin and could now see that he had a life-threatening puncture wound to his abdomen.

Sucking in a breath through his clenched teeth Rodney mumbled, "Your hands are cold."

Jennifer drew them back and looked up at his face, which was showing a small amount of amusement even through the pain. She frowned as she said, "Sorry, Rodney. I'll do what I can for you now, but this is a deep stab wound and you're going to need surgery to repair the damage."

Rodney's face deflated and he muttered a quiet, "Oh," before becoming silent and pensive once more.

She leant over and unzipped her backpack. She retrieved a suture kit from inside and looked up at Rodney's frightened face. He was staring at the pouch in her hands with wide eyes.

"Haven't you got any morphine in there? I don't think I'd be able to…I can't…" his voice trailed off.

Jennifer looked away from him sadly, "I'm _really_ sorry. As you said before, we need to get back to the gate." She gestured down at him, "Now more than ever."

Jennifer's hands cleaned the wound and then she deftly and carefully pushed the needle through Rodney's skin and drew the edges of the cut together tightly. He would wince and murmur sometimes if she tugged too much and made him shift.

His one free hand was balled into a fist by his side to stop him from reaching up and grabbing her wrists to make her stop what she was doing. She noticed that he valiantly held onto the scanner so that she could still see it even though his hand shook. She could see the tension in his body as he tried desperately not to move even though he was in pain and was probably fighting the urge to writhe to get away from her.

She suddenly felt the emotions building up inside her again as she worked on Rodney's injury and she could no longer control them as she watched the life literally draining out of the man in front of her. She felt a confusing mix of anger and sadness as she asked, "Why oh why didn't you tell me about this before?"

He drew in a slow breath and pried his eyes open to look at her. She kept her focus on his abdomen as she finished the stitches. He said sadly, "Needed to get you to safety."

She tried to understand what he had done but it was difficult. Instead the anger came to the surface again and she did not hide it from her voice, "I've been letting you walk with this!"

She finished off the stitches and looked away as tears started to well in her eyes. She blinked slowly to clear the stinging fog from her vision and then peered back down at Rodney's pale and pain lined face.

He softened his features slightly and frowned at her in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Am _I_?" Jennifer sighed. "Am _I _alright? Rodney you've been bleeding for who knows how long now. I think it should be you I'm more worried about."

He became silent again and then squirmed a little to try and get away from her as she cleaned the cut again and pressed a fresh bandage against him.

She steeled herself to continue. "Rodney can you sit up so I can tie this off around your back?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't know if I can move at all. I think I've just about bled to death now."

Jennifer ran a hand through his hair and his eyes snapped open in surprise and he looked up at her questioningly. She said reassuringly, all traces of anger now gone and replaced with concern, "Not quite. We're probably close to the Gate now, but I need you to hold on a little longer. Can you do that, _for me_?"

She emphasized the 'for me' and Rodney seemed to notice. She slipped her hand behind his shoulders and supported him while she passed the tapes of the bandage around his back with her free hand. She then slowly and gently lay him back down and tied the material off around his front.

"So what exactly happened?" She asked as she pulled down Rodney's shirt to cover the bandage and then packed up her gear.

"Isn't it obvious! I got stabbed with a large pointy knife."

Jennifer frowned, "Yes, that part I know. Who attacked you though and why?"

She zipped up the rucksack and put it on her back, now she understood why Rodney had not taken the other one.

He looked away from her and lifted up the scanner to look at the small screen. He suddenly stiffened up in fright and gasped, "Uh…we've got company!"

* * *

TBC


	4. Breaking

**Chapter 4 - Breaking**

Rodney shifted on the ground and winced. He said to Jennifer, "Help me up."

She just looked down at him in shock and replied, "Rodney you're too badly hurt. I don't even want to consider trying to move you."

He closed his eyes in frustration, "Unless _you_ want to shoot them?"

Jennifer suddenly realised that he was once again trying his best to protect her. She did not want anyone to die if it could be avoided, but these people had attacked Rodney for no apparent reason and she did not like her chances against them. She shook her head vigorously at him.

"So help me up!"

She bent over, grabbed Rodney's hand and pulled him upright. He ground his teeth together and made loud breathing noises, but did not cry out and alert their stalkers to his presence. Jennifer thought him very brave even as he leaned heavily against her and she kept a steady grip around his chest while he got his breath back.

After a few seconds, Rodney stepped away shakily and moved his hands to fumble with the zip on his tac vest. His hands shook so much he could not get the zip to catch. He sighed sadly and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Jennifer saw him struggling and moved over, "Let me get that for you."

He seemed to push his anger aside and replace it with resignation as he let her do up the vest. He nodded at her, "Uh…thanks."

Rodney then lifted up the life signs detector and Jennifer went over to stand next to him to make sure he did not stumble and fall, which would most likely tear the stitches or at worst maybe even completely knock him out.

She took hold of his upper arm as he swayed slightly and frowned at the screen. He spoke quietly to her from the corner of his mouth, "There's a group of five people heading our way very quickly. I don't think I can run to get away from them."

Jennifer squeezed his arm lightly, "How far are we from the gate?"

"A couple of miles, which in all honestly, I don't think I can walk that far either."

Jennifer looked at him sadly, but he kept his eyes firmly glued to the scanner and had a pained grimace on his face with the corners of his mouth turned down. She could feel him trembling from the pain and fear through his arm as she kept hold of him. She also felt the terror building in her own chest as she saw the life signs on the screen drawing closer. She tried her best to block it out as she needed to stay strong for both of them and not let Rodney succumb to despair before she could get him back to Atlantis.

"Rodney?" She asked as she stared at his downcast eyes.

He sighed again in sorrow and winced, but did not look up.

"Rodney, look at me." She said it a little more forcefully and furrowed her brow in empathy when his wide blue eyes finally met hers.

She steeled herself and spoke confidently, "You'll make it back! I'm with you, I won't let you die."

He smiled grimly at her, but still did not look convinced. Jennifer looked around at the trees and shook her head, "I don't know anything about military tactics, but shouldn't we find cover or something?"

Rodney seemed to become more focused at that and he set his jaw in an expression of grim determination. He turned to Jennifer, "You're right, but I don't know what we can use in this forest other than the trees and they won't help us for long against five people." His face fell at the end and he threatened to sink into hopelessness once more.

Jennifer spoke with forced optimism, "Well that's a start. Maybe we'll find something better."

He nodded and took a few unstable steps away from the fast approaching group. Jennifer quickly walked up next to him, grabbed his left arm and drew it over her shoulders to support him. She put her right hand around his waist on the other side to keep him steady.

He grunted in thanks and kept the life signs detector resolutely held out in front of them in his free hand.

They stumbled and were not being very stealthy when Rodney suddenly stopped, leant over at the waist and groaned. He nearly dropped the detector again and freed his other arm from Jennifer's shoulders so that he could clamp his forearm against his midsection.

Jennifer kept one hand on his back and reached underneath him so that she could firmly plant her other hand in the centre of his chest so that he did not fall. She rubbed his back gently and pursed her lips.

Jennifer was just about to suggest they continue when a loud whistling sound skimmed through the air close to them and abruptly ended with a loud hollow thud. She looked up in fright and saw an arrow imbedded in a tree right next to them.

Rodney heard it too and he straightened up with a gasp and unholstered his sidearm.

He mumbled, "Come on guys, give us a break! What is it with the Pegasus Galaxy and arrows?"

He gritted his teeth as he drew his arm away from his abdomen and turned to Jennifer, "Whatever you do; stay behind me. Oh and use this if they get too close." He hissed as he stretched round and unsheathed the knife from his belt and passed it to her.

She took it and studied the blade, grateful that it was better then a scalpel, but not very confident she would stand much of a chance against the people who had managed to stab Rodney, even when he had had a gun.

She backed up a short distance and kept hold of Rodney's waist to keep him upright as they proceeded around behind a tree. Rodney peered at the screen in his hand and Jennifer could feel that he had stopped shaking due to the adrenaline; she could also feel the tension in his muscles as he stood ready.

Suddenly he twisted from her grasp and stepped out from the protection of the tree. He raised his gun and fired several shots at the approaching attackers which punched through the silence of the forest and reverberated around Jennifer's skull for a few seconds.

He was met with a small volley of arrows and only just shimmied behind cover again before they hit the trees behind him. His chest heaved as he struggled to get his breath back and sweat glistened on his face. His skin was getting paler from the movement and Jennifer lifted up one of her hands to place it on his forehead. He grimaced and put his life signs detector holding hand across his chest as if the rapid breaths were hurting him.

"There's two left," he said between pants.

Jennifer baulked a little in shock that he had just killed three people, but then reasoned that it was either them or Rodney and herself. They had already seriously injured Rodney and still had murderous intentions against the two Lanteans.

He lifted his gun up ready for another session beyond the cover of the tree and before Jennifer could stop him he wheeled out of safety and squeezed off a few more shots.

He suddenly glanced down at the life signs detector and then looked up at her with wide, panicked eyes. "Jennifer! He's coming round the other side!"

He tried to run back to her, but he stumbled when his foot caught in the undergrowth and he cried out as his body was wrenched painfully against the stab wound. It made him fall over and he could not push himself up in time to reach her.

Jennifer backed up slowly to get closer to Rodney and she nearly made it. Suddenly the last of the bow wielding attackers appeared around the side of the tree. Lifted his weapon and shot an arrow at her at exactly the same time another gunshot rang out from close to the ground behind her. The attacker was hit squarely in the chest and fell down.

Jennifer stumbled and yelped as she felt the arrow pierce her leg. She fell over backwards and lay as still as possible while she struggled to breathe through the shock and pain.

She gasped as she placed her hands around the shaft protruding from the side of her lower left leg. It had not gone all the way through and she could tell that it had missed the bone, but it was going to turn walking into an impossible agony.

She was still wearing her rucksack and had fortunately landed on her side. Jennifer turned her head to check on Rodney. He was laying on his back a couple of metres away, with the gun in his outstretched arm, pointing in the direction he had just fired. His other hand was still holding the life signs detector and was pressed against his stomach. His eyes were closed, but Jennifer could see his chest hitching as he breathed.

Jennifer asked shakily, "Rodney?"

His face scrunched up in response, but no sound escaped him.

Jennifer tried not to shift her leg as she sat up, but she could not help it and it made her wince as tears of pain filled her eyes making it hard to see. She turned around and began the arduous task of using her hands to move along the ground on her rump to get closer to Rodney.

She checked behind her after a few minutes of horrendous shifting and found that she was now close enough to reach Rodney. She slowly and with difficulty removed the bag from her back and put it down in between her legs.

She retrieved the gun from Rodney's hand and returned it to the holster on his thigh. She then carefully moved his arm and rested it on his chest so that she could get even closer.

She turned so that she was right next to him and dragged the rucksack with her. She drew in a sharp breath as the arrow shifted slightly in her leg, but she was more concerned about Rodney for now.

She reached down and pressed her fingers against his neck. She could feel a pulse but it was rapid and weak. His face was deathly pale and he did not respond to the touch.

Jennifer gently patted his cheek with her hand and called out softly to him, "Rodney? Please wake up, we need to get back to the Gate."

There was still no response from him.

Jennifer suddenly felt a crushing loneliness gripping her heart and she knew that she must save him. If he died she would be left to fend for herself and she did not feel confident that she would have any chance of survival if they were attacked again.

She grabbed Rodney's hand from his chest, threaded her fingers through his and squeezed it tightly as she tapped his face again, "Rodney? Come on, talk to me."

His eyes twitched and he narrowly opened them and looked up at her tiredly. "About what?"

Jennifer was so pleased that he was conscious she managed to smile and said, "I don't know. But I need to check your stitches and I think it best if we keep that big brain of yours occupied to keep you conscious. It'll help me to focus too."

He frowned and looked down at her properly, then his eyes widened when he saw the arrow in her leg. She was still holding his hand and felt as he gently squeezed her digits in return. "But Jennifer you're hurt too."

She glanced down at her leg, "I know, but the arrow has sealed the skin. It's not bleeding too much. But you've just been unconscious and therefore your condition is more serious."

She held up her hand to stop him from speaking as he opened his mouth, "Basic rule of triage: more serious injuries get the attention first."

He still would not have any of it though. He shook his hand from Jennifer's grasp and placed it over the other one on his midsection stubbornly. "I'm not letting you look at me until you've patched yourself up."

She sighed and saw that he was completely resolute in his decision. His face was set in an unyielding expression and his eyes sparkled with fire as he dared her to try and change his mind.

Jennifer sighed and unzipped the rucksack, "Very well, but you'd better not pass out again. So you need to talk to me."

She racked her brain for a topic, but came up short. Although she was still curious and spoke before her mind could kick in and stop her. "Tell me what happened earlier? You know, after you left the hall."

He frowned and looked away, "Do I really have to talk about it now?"

Jennifer stopped rummaging in the bag for a moment and laid her hand gently over his as they rested on his belly, "Well if it keeps you lucid, then yes."

He sighed softly as Jennifer returned to the rucksack and pulled out some bandages.

Rodney then lifted his hand slightly to check the life signs detector was clear. He looked up at Jennifer next to him as she started working on her leg and he started to speak.

* * *

TBC


	5. Unexpected

A/N - Time for a little diversion from Rodney's POV (just in case you're curious, I know I am…)

**Chapter 5 - Unexpected**

**_A little while earlier…_**

Rodney stood in the corner of the hall trying not to let his fear overwhelm him. He sure hoped he was not going to catch anything being so close to all the sick people. He was pleased with himself that he managed to keep his hands away from his neck. He successfully restrained himself to not check whether his glands were swollen every minute. He could feel a tickle in the back of his throat, which he pushed aside as being psychological rather than the first sign of an incurable and horribly painful disease.

He tried to distract himself by monitoring the energy reading, but it was constant and he would need to take a closer look to find out what it was.

He kept an eye on Jennifer but he knew she probably felt uncomfortable with him watching her working all the time. The fact that she kept giving him furtive glances was not completely lost on him and he smiled at her to reassure her that everything was okay.

He felt so useless while he nervously waited for Jennifer to come to him first and let him leave to investigate the reading. He needed to be sure that she felt safe enough to be left alone.

Eventually she came over to him and granted permission for him to go.

Rodney paused in the doorway as he moved to leave and waited just in case Jennifer decided to change her mind. He felt a deep sense of disappointment settle in his chest when she did not stop him and he looked down at the ground as he walked through the door.

After the door swung closed behind him, Rodney abandoned all pretences and his hands shot up to massage the sides of his neck. He coughed and felt nothing different. It did not stop his skin from crawling in poorly suppressed panic. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as he forced his hands back down to his sides.

He then whipped the scanner out of his pocket and quickly walked off in the direction of the energy reading that had been tormenting him ever since he had first seen it on the screen in the forest.

He had to go into the forest to locate the object emitting the reading and there was no path. He just hoped he would not lose the village behind him as he proceeded. The trees got closer together as he walked deeper into the forest. The canopy blocked out most of the light filtering down between the leaves. Rodney was bathed in a dull twilight and he nearly had to get his torch out before his eyes adjusted to the shade.

He soon came to a clearing with a small podium in the centre. There were a few pillars and pieces of debris scattered around the trees and in the clearing that had probably once belonged to a building.

He walked out of the trees and jumped in fright when five dark-robed figures stepped out in front of him and blocked his path. They had their hoods up and drawn down so that Rodney could not see their faces.

They stopped in a line and said nothing. Rodney wrung his hands together nervously and said, "Erm, hello? I'm Dr Rodney McKay. I wondered if you'd be kind enough to let me take a look at that pillar behind you?" He stood up on tiptoes to peer over them.

The sinister figures stood their ground and did not even shift as Rodney switched his weight between his feet and continued in a shaky voice, "Are you from the village? Are you sick like the others? My companion can help you if…"

Rodney suddenly stopped speaking and berated himself for telling them about Jennifer. They did not look very friendly and he was not even sure if their shielded eyes were on him or not.

The stalemate continued and Rodney began to get annoyed. He frowned at the unwavering figures as he moved to get around the line they had formed. He muttered, "I'm not going to take it, if that's what you're worried about. I just want to have a quick look."

Rodney saw the hooded figures all turning on the spot to follow him with their covered faces as he moved. When he reached the end of the row and had nearly got past them; the one on the end closest to him spoke and startled him.

"You must not disturb the light. Anyone who does not belong on this planet is not welcome here."

Rodney stopped in his tracks and turned towards them. He said, "So you _can_ speak. Well that's nice to know at least. I have no intention of 'disturbing' anything. I just want a quick look." He waved the scanner, "You know, take a couple of readings. I won't touch anything if you don't want me to."

Rodney had still not moved any closer to the pillar and waited for their decision, which came faster than he had imagined and in a way he had not expected.

Rodney saw a glint of metal flash in the half-light and saw the blade just before the hooded figure next to him jabbed it up to the hilt into his belly.

He cried out in shock and pain as the figure drew his hand back quickly and pulled the knife out.

Rodney clamped his hands over the stab wound and shouted angrily at the people in front of him as he swayed. "What the hell was that for? I was even trying to be nice!"

He gritted his teeth and backed away from the malevolent figures as they continued to regard him. He felt dizzy as his heart pounded against his ribs. The man who had stabbed Rodney was still holding the knife out in front of him. Rodney could see the blade was now tinted dark red and it did not help him as he valiantly fought to remain vertical. He turned around and stumbled away from them into the woods.

Rodney turned his head after a few painful steps and saw in alarm that the hooded figures were following him. One of them called out to him in an unemotional voice, "Death to _all_ off-worlders!"

Rodney rolled his eyes and unholstered his gun to point it at the advancing and menacing figures. He suddenly saw shadows moving around in between the trees close to him. His eyes widened in fear when he realised there were a lot more people after his blood other than the five who had stopped him.

He kept his free hand pressed on his abdomen, but he could feel the blood soaking through his shirt and trickling between his fingers. He needed to get away from them so that they could not stab him again. He desperately needed to control the bleeding otherwise he would soon be too weak to move and he would collapse and die.

He suddenly realised that there was no way he had enough bullets to take them all out. He also did not like his chances of surviving long enough before one of them got close enough to knife him again. Instead he pointed the gun up in the air in the general direction of the figures he could see and fired a few times.

The sound of the shots was loud to his ears in the muffling closeness of the trees and he prayed that the hooded figures would be spooked enough not to follow.

Rodney then holstered the gun and ran for his life.

* * *

_**Present…**_

"Oh…ow! Haven't you got any painkillers in that massive rucksack of yours?" Rodney gasped indignantly as Jennifer carefully checked his stitches and wrapped a fresh bandage around his middle.

She sighed sadly and said, "I've got some morphine and other basic medicine. I don't want to give you any though as we need to get to the Gate and I don't think I could carry you that far."

Rodney smiled a little at that, but then furrowed his brow again and shuddered.

Jennifer had cushioned the arrow in her leg as best she could, but she would need to leave it in place and have it removed in a more controlled environment to minimize blood loss and infection.

She could see that Rodney was getting weaker from his injury. He needed urgent medical attention that she could not give him with her limited equipment. She was deeply frustrated that she could not do more to help him. He had serious internal bleeding from the vicious stab wound which was making his condition deteriorate alarmingly fast.

"So why didn't you call me for help?" Jennifer asked as she tied the bandage off.

Rodney gazed up at her blankly and he blinked slowly as if he was not going to be able to stay conscious for much longer. He quietly mumbled, "What?"

Jennifer felt the fear creeping up on her again as she watched him struggle against his losing battle with unconsciousness. She grasped his shoulder and held his hand tightly in hers. He seemed to become more alert at the touch and so she asked again; "After you were attacked; why didn't you call me on the radio?"

Rodney looked off to the side and kept his eyes open as he slipped down into the dark thoughts of his recent memories.

* * *

_**A little while earlier…**_

Blinding tears of pain flowed down Rodney's face as he ran. He stopped after a couple of minutes when the pain became too much for him to go on. Every breath sent wave after wave of agony through his torso, emanating from the hole in his abdomen.

He pulled out the scanner and switched it over to become a life signs detector again. His hands shook as he worked and drops of blood fell from them onto the ground below. He grimaced and concentrated on getting his ragged and uncontrolled breaths steadier so that they caused him less pain.

He blinked blearily down at the screen and saw double for a moment until he screwed his eyes tightly shut and squeezed as much of the water out as possible. When he saw the screen again it was a little more focused and he noticed that there was a group of life signs heading his way. They were some distance off and did not seem in too much of a hurry to get to him.

He pocketed the life signs detector and pulled a bandage out of his tac vest. He gingerly unzipped the vest and lifted up his shirt so that he could tie the bandage around his waist. Speed was of the essence so he hastily pressed it down, which made him whimper involuntarily, and looped it around his back. He then zipped up his tac vest and steeled himself as he took to his heels again as fast as his injury would allow.

As he made haste through the forest back towards the village, Rodney's mind spun down in an ever decreasing spiral of doubt and misery. He wished he could radio Jennifer for help, but she was unarmed and could do little against the thugs who had hurt him so badly.

Rodney felt a sense of crushing failure constricting his chest so that he could hardly draw enough breath to keep his feet moving him ever nearer to the village and back to Jennifer. He had really screwed up this time and he knew it. He hoped he could reach her before his attackers or they would kill her and the whole reason why Rodney had come with her on the mission would have been for nothing.

He wished he had stayed with Jennifer and not run off like he had. He probably would not be in a situation where he needed to get back to her so urgently. His only reason for coming was to protect her and he had made things worse by letting his curiosity get the better of him. It was no part of the mission to investigate any energy readings or Ancient technology and he realised that he had no right to leave her alone like he had.

There and then, as his breath came in rapid gasps and his blood flowed out of the stab wound and soaked through the bandage around his midsection, Rodney vowed to make amends for his terrible error and selfish actions of leaving Jennifer alone, unarmed and in great danger. Even if it hurt like hell or killed him, he would get her out of this place and safely back to Atlantis.

Rodney slowed to a walk when the trees started thinning out near the village. He hardened his heart and mind against the pain and wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand to hide the telltale signs of his pain which had made his eyes water so much as he ran.

He hoped none of the hooded figures had overtaken him, but prepared for the worst and drew his gun as he approached the door back into the hall.

* * *

_**Present…**_

Jennifer turned her face towards Rodney who was breathing heavily. They both supported each other as they made their slow and painful way back to the Gate. She found every hop was even worse than she had imagined. The arrow in her leg jarred horribly, making shooting pains run up her entire leg with every movement. She reached across and put her hand on Rodney's chest as he threatened to pitch forwards. She did not like their chances of getting up again if they both fell down.

She peered into his face and gave him a crooked smile as she said, "We make a right pair don't we? They'd probably all fall over laughing the next time they see us."

Rodney grimaced but did not show any signs of amusement. He held her as tightly as possible with his left arm wrapped across her back and his hand on her waist to try and minimize the jarring impact of each hop. He mumbled quietly, but his close proximity to Jennifer meant that she could hear every word. "I don't think they'd even bother giving us a second glance when they shoot us next time they show up."

Jennifer hopped and winced and had to lean more heavily against Rodney as her leg nearly buckled under her. He groaned and closed his eyes but held fast and did not fall over.

Jennifer felt terribly guilty and spoke quietly, "I'm so sorry! _So_ sorry."

Rodney trembled and said softly, "It's okay. I just wish I hadn't been stabbed otherwise I'd carry you back to the Gate myself."

Jennifer relaxed her grip around his shoulder and on his chest to let him recover and spoke intensely, "I also wish more than anything that you hadn't been hurt and I feel that this is in some way my fault. If I'd stopped you from leaving the hall earlier none of this would've happened."

Rodney shook his head and looked up into her eyes, "No. If anything it's _my_ fault for leaving you alone and chasing after the ghosts of the Ancients once again. Even when I had no business doing such a thing on this mission."

Jennifer smiled at him sadly and said, "Yep, we sure do make a pair! Let's just try and hold it together and reach the Gate before we start assigning blame anywhere."

Rodney nodded and clenched his teeth as he shuffled and Jennifer hopped slowly through the forest towards their goal.

* * *

TBC

A/N – Nearly there now…


	6. Resolutions

**Chapter 5 – Resolutions**

"Stop, stop," Rodney muttered under his breath as he came to a halt and started to sag down towards the ground.

Jennifer gritted her teeth and moved all of her weight onto her undamaged leg as she tried in vain to hold him upright. She grabbed him under the shoulders as his arm fell away from her waist limply. She did not have the strength to keep him from staggering away from her towards a nearby tree.

"I just need to rest for a while," Rodney said as he closed his eyes tiredly.

Jennifer could only watch as he wandered over and leant against the tree. He pressed his face into the bark and took a few deep shuddering breaths as he clamped his arms down on his abdomen. His face was ashen and glistened with sweat even in the cool woodland air.

She suddenly realised that she needed to keep him going somehow or they would never make it back to Atlantis alive. She winced as her supporting leg strained and she inadvertently put some weight on her injured limb. "Don't give up now! I thought we were close to the Gate?"

"Just a few more steps and then home, eh?" Rodney said weakly. He shifted away from the tree and looked across at her. He seemed to visibly steel himself as he watched Jennifer flagging and shaking in exertion to keep upright. He shook his head to clear it and came back towards her.

He reached out with a trembling hand and took Jennifer's in his. She was startled at how cold his hand was and held onto it more tightly as he drew up next to her. He wrapped his arm across her back and Jennifer was relieved that she had his support as she was just about ready to drop. She dreaded to think what it would have been like if she had fallen.

"Sorry," he muttered breathily as he looked down at the ground and bent slightly at the waist. "I…it just hurts so much. But you're right we're probably nearly there now."

Rodney unclasped his hand from Jennifer's and took out the life signs detector. He sighed sadly and Jennifer felt a shiver pass through his body as she stood leaning against him.

"What's wrong?"

"We're going to die here." Rodney said dejectedly and started to bow again under the pressure of Jennifer leaning on him.

She frowned across at him and said, "How come? I thought we were making good progress."

Rodney returned her gaze and Jennifer thought he looked even more ill as she was so close to him and could see the lines of pain and weariness accentuated on his pale face. "There's a huge welcoming party around the Gate. No prizes for guessing who they are."

Jennifer now returned his look in fear as she asked, "How many bullets do you have left?"

Rodney grimaced as he pocketed the life signs detector and grabbed the gun. He checked it over and said quietly, "Four."

"And how many life signs are around the Gate?"

Rodney holstered the gun and pulled out the life signs detector again. He frowned and blinked down at the device a few times. "At least ten." He sighed in frustration as he closed his eyes and said, "I'm not sure though, I can't focus my eyes on the screen anymore. It might only be one."

Jennifer gently took his hand and angled the life signs detector. She could see a large cluster of readings ahead. Some were standing still, while others patrolled around the perimeter of the clearing where the Gate was.

She looked up at Rodney and said, "How are we going to get past them? Atlantis aren't expecting us back for another six hours." Her voice began to show the poorly concealed panic she was trying to hold in check in order to keep Rodney going.

He said sadly, "I don't know. We're already going cross-country rather than using the path to throw them off. I suppose they knew where we were going and decided to head us off."

Jennifer did not want to say what was on her mind. She knew Rodney would probably not be able to stay alive for another six hours. She felt his ribcage expand under her arm just before he let loose a deep sigh. She then felt him stiffen at the pain the motion had just caused him.

He said shakily, "We could wait. I'm sure Sheppard's back by now and they can come and rescue us!" His voice rose a little in hope at the end and he even managed to give Jennifer a small smile.

She did not return the expression and gazed off into the distance in the direction they needed to go to get to the Gate. She furrowed her brow and gave herself away.

"Oh God!" Rodney said, his fear returning, "We _are_ going to die aren't we? Either way, there's nothing that can be done to prevent it is there?" He stood up straighter and narrowed his eyes in determination. He then glared across at Jennifer intensely, "So which would you rather? Bleed to death agonisingly slowly or go out fighting?"

Jennifer pursed her lips; she knew _she_ might be able to make it through the next six hours. Rodney had still not realised that their haste was actually mainly for his sake.

He took her silence as approval and therefore made his decision without her. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get out of this forest full of lunatics and check myself into the infirmary." He raised one of his eyebrows at her and grinned.

Jennifer thought he must have been getting delirious to actually _want_ to go to the infirmary. She could not decide whether to let him carry out his plan. It was probably suicide, but she could not bare the thought of watching him suffer though six hours of agony as he got weaker.

"Don't," she said before she could stop herself, "They'll kill you."

Rodney's face fell and he threatened to sink into despair again. Then his eyes suddenly shone with a courage Jennifer did not know he could show so clearly. "Not necessarily. I have to at least try. But you're in no condition to help me. When we're close enough I'll find you a nice hiding place." He swallowed deeply and continued, "That way, you can call Atlantis on the radio when they dial in…if…if I…" He trembled and closed his eyes as he looked away.

Jennifer hugged him gently with her right arm as it curled around his back and waist. She said softly, "I'm sorry Rodney. I can't let you do this. They'll almost certainly kill you. If we wait at least there's a chance, no matter how small."

Rodney frowned at her, but it did not seem as though he needed as much discouragement as Jennifer had built up ready inside her as he spoke. He did not reply, but instead looked down at the screen of the device in his hand.

"Um… I'm not sure if my eyes are going again, but it looks like some of the people have left the Gate and they're fanning out into the forest in a search pattern."

Jennifer's eyes widened in fear when she peered at the screen Rodney had just tilted to show her. "You're right. There's nowhere for us to go without them finding us!"

Rodney smiled grimly at her, "Looks like we won't have to fight our way to the Gate after all. Our last stand is coming straight for us."

They carefully and slowly shuffled over towards a large tree for cover. Rodney leaned Jennifer carefully against the tree as they unwrapped their arms from each other. He then huffed out a breath as he pressed his back against the tree next to her. He unholstered his gun and handed Jennifer the knife again while they waited in tense silence.

They heard a voice calling out in the distance through the trees. The words were imperceptible though the stillness and the rush of blood next to Jennifer's ears as she recovered from the pain of hopping to get to the tree.

After a few more minutes the voice rang out again, alarmingly close this time.

"Dr Keller? Dr McKay?"

Rodney turned his face and locked his wide blue eyes with Jennifer's. He shifted himself along the tree to be as close to her as possible. She marvelled that he moved silently despite his injury. He drew his face close to her ear and whispered, "I never told them _your_ name. I don't know how they would've found out."

She drew her head back slightly to turn towards him. They shared a meaningful glance and she said quietly, "Maybe they're not the people who attacked us."

Rodney leant in again and said, "Let's wait until they've gone past. Keep quiet and they shouldn't see us."

Jennifer nodded and Rodney slid back along the tree and held his gun up with a shaking hand while he eyed the life signs detector.

The man shouted again. It sounded like he was right on the other side of the tree and it made Jennifer tense up in fright. "Dr Keller? It's Param, from the village."

Jennifer relaxed a little and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything Rodney rapidly reached across and put his hand over her mouth. She turned to him and he had his teeth clenched against the pain of his sudden movement to prevent her from giving their position away. He shook his head to indicate that he still did not trust the man closing in on them.

He had to lower his hand very quickly and placed it on his midsection over where the bandage was concealed beneath his shirt. Jennifer watched in growing concern as he struggled to hold the gun and stay conscious.

Param walked past the tree where Jennifer and Rodney were hiding. He did not turn back to look at them and Jennifer could tell instantly that he was one of the people she had treated earlier; his condition not as serious as some of the others.

She smiled in relief and glanced across at Rodney. Her face fell when she saw his expression glaze over. She kept her eyes looking at him and shouted to the retreating figure, "Param! I need help!"

He was startled and quickly turned back towards them and raised his bow. He soon lowered it and came rushing over as Rodney pitched forward. Param dropped his bow and caught McKay just before he hit the ground. He gently lowered the unconscious scientist onto the ground and then looked up at Jennifer. He noticed the arrow in her leg and stood up to help her sit down.

Jennifer accepted his assistance gratefully. It still hurt to move but she was glad that she was finally able to rest her weary legs.

Param retrieved his bow from the ground and stood up straight. He took a small object out of his pocket and put it in his mouth as he tilted his head back. A loud and shrill whistle emanated from the device and Jennifer winced as her ears protested against the sudden sound. She could almost imagine the sound waves glancing off the trees and making the leaves vibrate in response.

Param knelt down next to Rodney and put his hand on the man's forehead. His expression tautened into a frown as he turned to Jennifer.

Before she could ask, he spoke, "We found the bodies of the Shadowed Ones in the forest. We knew you left in a hurry and others have mentioned they had seen shadows in the forest beyond the village recently.

"None of us are exactly sure where they come from, possibly from another village or maybe even through the ancestral ring."

Jennifer reached out and took Rodney's cool hand in her own and drew it up to her chest. She put her other hand on his sternum so that she could be reassured by the shallow but steady rise and fall of his chest as he continued to breathe.

Param continued, "We've all been too ill recently to keep them away from the village, but you changed that." He smiled at Jennifer, but she failed in her attempt to return the expression. The unresponsive digits interwoven with her own were a permanent reminder that Rodney was losing his battle and her heart was heavy with worry.

Param spoke again, "We tried to find you on the path, but we only found the dead. We knew you would head for the ancestral ring so we thought it best to wait for you there. We were worried when you seemed to be taking too long to reach us."

Jennifer nodded at him as more villagers approached. She let them support her as they half carried her towards the Gate. Rodney was out cold and many people swarmed around him and helped him upright.

He woke up as they started to move and mumbled quietly with his eyes still closed, "Jennifer?"

She made them take her over to him and she replied, "I'm here Rodney, we're safe. They're taking us back to the Gate. We'll be back soon."

He muttered something else; it sounded like, "Home, sweet home," but Jennifer could not be sure exactly what he had said.

Rodney stumbled in a semi-conscious state all the way back to the Gate. They laid him down on the ground close to the DHD as Jennifer asked them to. She knew there was no way Colonel Carter would let anyone else back on Atlantis.

Jennifer thanked Param and the others as they stood around the DHD. She assured them that she would be back to check up on them or if the blood tests revealed anything further.

They retreated to a safe and unthreatening distance to make sure the Lanteans were well protected as she dialled Atlantis and radioed for a medical team.

* * *

TBC


	7. Gratitude

**Chapter 7 - Gratitude**

Jennifer hopped around the infirmary on crutches and winced. As she moved, she planted the metal poles on the ground and swung her body across to land on her good leg. All her work was in the infirmary or the adjacent lab and she never had too far to go when she needed something to occupy her mind.

The pain in her leg had built up when she tried to work and made it impossible to concentrate after a while. She had eventually decided to take her own advice and get some rest.

She kept the crutches hooked onto her elbows and placed her hands down on the bed as she watched Rodney sleep.

She had been disappointed when she had not been allowed into surgery; even to offer advice after they got back from P7H-306. She trusted her colleagues though and left him in their care while the arrow in her leg was carefully removed and the wound stitched and bandaged.

She sighed quietly as she peered into Rodney's pale face. She shifted all her weight onto her good leg and took his hand gently, careful not to disturb the IV line.

Colonel Carter had been down as soon as Rodney was released from surgery to check up on both of them. Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon were still off-world so Jennifer took the opportunity to keep Rodney company. She knew that as soon as they got back, the rest of Rodney's team would descend on the infirmary and probably not leave until he was ready to leave himself.

She smiled down at him sadly, checked his monitors and all the lines, even though she was not the one responsible for his care. She needed to reassure herself that he was going to be alright and was glad that Rodney had been strong enough not to need the ventilator. He had a cannula giving him oxygen looped under his nose and behind his ears.

Jennifer laid Rodney's hand on his chest as her supporting leg began to shake while the damaged limb throbbed. She quickly reached across, ruffled his hair and whispered, "Thank you, but now it's my turn to repay the favour."

Jennifer knew if it were not for him, she would have been killed on the planet. Her heart swelled in pride at him over how brave he had been as he prepared to make a run for the Gate, even if it killed him, just to get them back to Atlantis.

Jennifer also noticed Rodney's vulnerability and felt a twinge of sadness and pity along with pride. He had saved her life more than once on the mission, despite being so badly injured, and now she would have to do her utmost to keep him alive and safe until he was well again.

She unnecessarily adjusted the blanket pulled up to cover the bandages around his abdomen and furrowed her brow in sorrow that he did not so much as twitch or react in any way to her presence or touch.

Jennifer grabbed the handles on her crutches and hopped over to the bed she had vacated earlier. She drew in a sharp breath as she lifted herself up onto it and leant the crutches on the wall behind within grabbing distance. She lay back and closed her eyes. The quiet and steady beep of Rodney's heart monitor a short distance away soon lulled her to sleep.

* * *

A day later, Jennifer sat next to Rodney and held one of his hands in both of hers. He was still trapped in a haze of tiredness, but had woken up earlier at the sound of Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon swarming around and pawing at him as soon as they got back.

Jennifer had told them some of what had happened but then asked them to read the rest in her report. She assured them she would find the time to type it up when she was better, but did not say that she was secretly dreading having to relive the trauma of what she had been through with Rodney.

As predicted, Sheppard had pulled up a chair and sat himself between Jennifer and Rodney's beds to keep a vigil on his friends.

It was now night time and Sheppard had long since been shooed out of the infirmary by one of the Doctor's on duty. Jennifer was very grateful for the chance to be alone with Rodney and not needing to worry about anyone else disturbing him as he tried to rest. As much as she tried to tell herself that he was not under her care, she just could not help wanting to constantly monitor him, make sure the lines were attached correctly and that he was in no pain.

When the coast was clear, she had slid out of the bed and sat down in the chair next to the sleeping scientist.

She squeezed his hand gently and he groaned and rolled slightly. Jennifer frowned and gazed into the blue eyes which regarded her sleepily.

"Hey," she said, "How're you doing?"

Rodney licked his lips and said, "Well aside from the feeling that someone just tried to pin me to a board like a butterfly, you know, great."

Jennifer smiled at the sarcasm and held his hand more tightly, this time the gesture was returned and Rodney squeezed her hand gently.

He raised an eyebrow at her and gave her a lopsided grin, "You know it'll fall off if you keep doing that."

Jennifer felt her face getting hotter as it glowed with embarrassment. She lifted Rodney's hand up and put it down gently on the bed next to him as she let go.

He looked disappointed and sighed. Jennifer suddenly realised that he had probably not meant for her to release her grasp completely but for her to not hold his hand so tightly.

Rodney looked away and closed his eyes sadly. Jennifer noticed he was flagging and forced herself to stand. She used her hands on his bed for leverage as she hopped along so that she could stand next to his head.

She leant in close to his face and spoke quietly. "Thank you," she said, "You got me back to Atlantis and without you I would've given up hope long before we got back."

Rodney frowned in confusion as he said, "I was under the impression that it was you who kept _me_ going. I also half remember passing out as we were about to be attacked by a whole load of people and leaving you to fend for yourself."

Jennifer straightened up and shook her head. "It was fine, they were from the village. Without them, neither of us would have made it."

Rodney shifted his hands up and laid them over the bandage around his belly. He did not appear to be in pain, or at least if he was, he was not showing it. He closed his eyes again and Jennifer leant over and kissed his cheek gently in gratitude.

Rodney's eyes snapped open as Jennifer drew herself up to her full height. He looked up at her and Jennifer smiled down at him. His expression was a mixture of hopefulness, shock and confusion which made Jennifer blush and laugh softly.

His face quickly switched to a broad grin at her reaction and he closed his eyes in contentment.

Jennifer sat down in the chair and continued to watch him long after he had fallen asleep again. She got up to return to her own bed for the night, but before she moved, she leant down and kissed him again on the forehead this time.

She smiled and let the weariness take over as she moved back across the short distance to her bed next to his.

As Jennifer lay there and gazed up at the ceiling she felt a warm sensation of serenity in her heart that Rodney was going to be alright. She also knew that she would soon be well enough to keep an eye on him properly as he got better.

* * *

The End

A/N – Thanks for reading my first attempt at shippy whump fic!


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